Cleaning Silverware for Pennies & Is Reg Psychic?

So many years ago, way before I was a foodie, Reg joined me on a journey my family makes every year: the church auction. I had been going every since I was a little kid. Him joining us was a big step to becoming part of our clan.

Now this is not Reg’s thing at all. In fact I bought a Christmas tree there and he was very unhappy about it since I did not realize fitting it into our car was going to be next to impossible. So imagine my surprise when at the auction he started to bid on silverware.

Silverware? Really?

Then, my family and I inhaled sharply as we realized who he was bidding against… The antiques guy! Oh… he was famous at the auction. Everyone just gave up when he started bidding on something. He would sit there looking above his reading glasses with his chin to his chest, surrounded by all the treasures he had found.

Reg had no idea. And kept bidding.

We were slack-jawed, looking between Reg smiling self-assuredly and the antiques guy in the front row, furrowed brow, clearly unhappy. He relented. Reg won!

I think we all gasped a quiet cheer for Reg as he stood up to pay for his box of treasure. Beautiful silver. So much beautiful silver. But what on earth were we going to do with all of it?

Who knew way back on that sunny day in October that I would end up being a foodie? That I could share these beautiful treasures that have been sitting in a plastic bag ever since? I thought we had actually lost that bag in our last move but I recently found them. That is when I realized I had to do a video tutorial of me finally, FINALLY cleaning them and share them with the world.

Can you see the little teapots in the photo above? I picked those up at K&K Bargain Shop. Going to turn them into pendants! 

For those of you who can not watch (or prefer not to watch) videos, I did a photo tutorial here a while ago. So easy and cheap, you will never get out the chemicals to polish your silver again.

I have been waiting days and days, collecting silver treasures and putting them together for an opportunity to do this cleaning video in my kitchen.

I had a funny thought after making the video. For those who wanted to know “who I was wearing” (I know, ridiculous) I took a photograph of my “wardrobe”. You have Lenore Touch Me & Gain A Stump T-Shirt, my self-made cupcake pendant and a man’s studded belt. Yup, what a “fashionista” am I! LOL.

I still am not entirely sure why Reg bought all this silverware. He has encouraged me to embrace food more than anyone (and not selfishly, honestly). When I just wanted to eat out every night because everything I made was horrible, he never gave up on me. When I thought baking was only for people with a special gene in their blood, he assured me I could learn to make the perfect pie crust.

When we first got these utensils, I pretty much could not care less. How much has changed. It makes me wonder, did Reg know how much food would come to mean to me? That one day I would use these antique spoons, knives and forks with a smile on my face?

Now, I keep them in a bowl where I do my food photography so I can add them to my photos with glee. I see what Reg sees now. Treasures. Treasures I will finally start using and sharing here on my blog.